President Joe Biden today broke his own record for the most commutations issued in a single day, shortening the sentences of nearly 2,500 people who are serving time in federal prisons for nonviolent drug offenses. That brings his total commutations to more than 4,000, which far exceeds the previous record set by Barack Obama, who shortened 1,715 federal sentences as president.
Biden has granted about one-third of the commutations sought by federal prisoners since he took office, a very high rate compared to those of his recent predecessors. Obama, who received nearly three times as many commutation petitions, granted about 5 percent of them, which was high compared to the rates for Donald Trump (1 percent), George W. Bush (0.1 percent), Bill Clinton (1 percent), George H.W. Bush (0.4 percent), Ronald Reagan (1 percent), and Jimmy Carter (3 percent). Gerald Ford's rate (4 percent) was close to Obama's, while Richard Nixon's rate (nearly 7 percent) was higher, but both of those presidents received far fewer petitions.
Biden's latest batch of commutations, which follows about 1,500 he issued on December 12 for prisoners who had been transferred to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on people who are serving drug sentences that are probably longer than they would have received under current law. "Today's clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes," Biden said. "This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars."
